This clip is from my '04 F150 XLT, 5.4. It has a true dual exhaust, no mufflers, factory cats still installed.

Exhaust clip

 

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Is it that bad?

 

It is a little louder and rough for my tastes, but I like how deep it is. If anyone is consifering Flowmasters, they would like this.

 

Hell yea!!! Thats kinda what my straight piped 4.6 sounds like, only they sound MUCH better in person...straights sound soooo good!

Wish i could get more of a "blub blub blub" like the older trucks with glasspacks make....oh well sounds great!!!

 

Gary, is it really, really loud in person? Do you have a lot of cab drone? Did you feel any loss in power, low end torque, take off, etc.? I have a Magnaflow and I love it! I love the sound, the lack of cab drone, the power that I've felt pick up a little but it could be a little louder on the outside if you know what I mean. I just don't want obnoxious though. Don't get me wrong, I like for people to know I passed them but I don't want to hear nothing but exhaust the whole time I'm driving. Let me know. Thanks!

 

youll hear a decent amount of cabin noise with straight pipes. They sound great but theyre a little loud especially on the highway

 

The drone is actually less now than it was with the Imco SI/DO that was installed before. You can tell that it's not stock, but it's not at all loud or mind-numbing. If it was, I'd have to get some mufflers installed.

Haven't noticed any loss in power, and I haven't had the opportunity to check the gas mileage yet. Probably do that next weekend when I drive down to Knoxville (200 miles).

Also, I'd recommend installing a crossover with a dual setup. It makes it sound a lot smoother, especially when accelerating.

 

The clip was made before I had the crossover installed, and it is a bit rougher sounding than it is now with the crossover.

I'll try to get another clip made.

 

There it is!! That cheap hillbilly sound I've been talking about! Doesn't sound good at all. Trust me, I know exhaust, I've built custom exhaust for years. I love a loud car/truck just as much as the next guy. I even like it louder than that, but it's gotta sound good. And that's just not it!

 

ok then what exhaust sounds good to you?

 

A good sounding exhaust has lots of things to make it sound good. Such as the right size pipes, tips, how and where the pipes are bent, whether they are mandrel bent or not, and most importantly the right mufflers.
I have to admit that straight pipes on the F-150 sounds better than most I have heard, but still not a great sound. The sound quaility is more important to me than the overall loudness of the exhaust. So the idea is to create the best sound and keep it as loud as possible.

This is how I would build an exhaust for the truck:
Long tube headers back to two high flow converters, then back to true duals including an H-Pipe or X-Pipe. Then going in to two good quality mufflers and dumping out into dual tips in front of the rear tires. Basically looking like a Lightning exhaust, but on both sides. Now, I like to use Flowmaster 40 series mufflers. I've always liked flowmaster for the sound, quality and performance compared to it's price. But, I'm definitly not saying they are the best out there. This setup will give you a great sound while maintaining a loud exhaust because of the shortness of the pipes.

I didn't do this to mine but would have if I didn't drive it on the highway everyday for 38 miles each way back and forth to work. I wanted a decent sound but definitly not too loud because of the highway driving. So I went with the Flowmaster cat back system and swap the 50 series muffler for a 40 series to give it some loudness since I wasn't modifying the cats. This mandrel bent system is a good sound for the price.

 

Thanks for your opinion.

I have to say though....I prefer the sound of it now, to any muffler I've tried.

Guess I'm just a "hillbilly"....but I'm ok with that.

 

You probably lose a little with the audio quality too.

 

Do you loose any power with straight pipes???

Darren

 

Nothing that's been noticeable.

What has been noticeable is that the engine seems to be a lot stronger on the top end.